"15mm, 28mm and 1/72" Topic

Why is it that figure sculptors make true scale 1/72 figures for wargaming but not in 1/100, 1/56 or 1/48? Instead, they use height irrespective of figure proportions.

Vote with your money… They will hear, eventually. I am using more 1/72 fantasy figures because they fit, in size, with those given by Gygax, in his 1977 AD&D Monster Manual (Elves and Dwarves; using 1/72 "Orcs" for Goblins, as they are near-perfect height for the spec's given by EGG, next to 28-30mm Humans). Buy what works at your table, and don't sweat the rest. Be glad you have so many types, and sizes, to choose from! Cheers!

Why is it that figure sculptors make true scale 1/72 figures for wargaming but not in 1/100, 1/56 or 1/48? Instead, they use height irrespective of figure proportions.

The answer to that is lost in the history of time.

Actually, I'd dispute that even 1/72 figures are "true scale". Judging by the reviews here

link

there is consderable variation in size even for 1/72 figures!

From what I've seen, at least of the 15mm figures, people tend to sculpt the heads of these separately, and when fitted to the torsos, they end up being overly large, which is a real shame.

Correctly scaled 28mm white metal weapons are not, in the main, viable.
They are not robust enough for most gamer's use. They can also be difficult to cast. Therefore, weapons are stylised and given a little more bulk – Yes! even I do this when sculpting weapons.

Correctly scaled hands look weird and puny holding viable-to-cast weapons, it just doesn't look right. Hands, and therefore heads, need to be slightly stylised.

Soft plastic 1/72 figures can bend, so weapons can be thinner without breaking.

While I am constantly amazed by sculptors like Tom Meier, or Australia's own Sebastian Archer, who strive for correctly proportioned human forms, units of historical troops made from white metal DO require some additional chunkiness to survive on the table-top and be viable for moulding/casting.

Zardoz has spoken!

28mm Fanatik 22 Jun 2015 11:09 a.m. PST
Why is it that figure sculptors make true scale 1/72 figures for wargaming but not in 1/100, 1/56 or 1/48? Instead, they use height irrespective of figure proportions.

Vote with your money… They will hear, eventually. I am using more 1/72 fantasy figures because they fit, in size, with those given by Gygax, in his 1977 AD&D Monster Manual (Elves and Dwarves; using 1/72 "Orcs" for Goblins, as they are near-perfect height for the spec's given by EGG, next to 28-30mm Humans). Buy what works at your table, and don't sweat the rest. Be glad you have so many types, and sizes, to choose from! Cheers!

Yet…

In my 3rd Edition (sold 2nd edition when the staples were rusting) TSR Chainmail, in the fantasy supplement, there are two size systems on page 28.

Man 30mm 40mm

Hobbits, sprites
10mm 20mm
Dwarves, gnomes, goblins, kobolds
20mm 25mm
Elves, Fairies, Orcs
25mm 30mm
Balrogs, Ogres, Trolls
40mm 54mm
Djinn, Dragons, efreet, elementals, ents, giants, rocs
54mm 70mm

So even in the same company there was no agreement in what size figures were "standard" and whether to us "XXmm" (size) or fractional scales.

As I convert 25/28mm fantasy armies t0 15/18mm I am looking at the various races and going back to my 1970s decision – relatively smaller/larger and the sculpt styles is more important than an exact ratio relationship in height of figures.

I mean, seriously, are dwarves 4 foot tall? 4 foot 6 inches? Are Elves shorter or taller than humans (that answer depends on what sources you draw upon for inspiration.)

There is no "right answer" for the size/height/weight for fantasy races except e=what you decide in your own head.

Wow, this thread and re-reading the TSR Chainmail rules makes me want to run a game using Appendix B – the Man-to-Man melee table!

Remember, both of these folks are in scale!

"Why is it that figure sculptors make true scale 1/72 figures for wargaming but not in 1/100?"

I am free from this sin. I sculpt in 1:100. :-)